NSF–CASC Workshop on Envisioning NAIRR State and Regional Hubs for Educational Transformation

This one‑day workshop will bring together representatives from across the states and territories, along with a cross‑section of educators, to provide structured community input to NSF as it considers future directions for a national effort to transform students’ educational experiences through investments in computing and data infrastructure and services.

The workshop will explore how coordinated statewide or multi-state approaches to advanced computing and CI capacity and access could support educational innovation across institutions of higher education. Topics will include enabling broad-based access to advanced computing and data resources; integrating CI capabilities into instructional programs and experiential learning; and strengthening faculty development, student onboarding, and user support models that prepare students for participation in a data- and AI-enabled research and workforce environment.

Purpose and Focus

The workshop is designed as a working convening of state and institutional leaders whose perspectives can inform NSF’s emerging vision for coordinated strategies that expand access to advanced computing, strengthen the workforce pipeline, and enhance U.S. research and education competitiveness.

Participants will include:

• State and system-level higher education and workforce leaders
• Cyberinfrastructure leadership from research-performing institutions
• Faculty and academic leaders
• Statewide and regional research and education networks (RENs)
• Selected industry and philanthropic partners

Key Discussion Areas

The day will center on candid, structured discussions among peers on:

• Building statewide or multi-state advanced computing consortia
• Governance, coordination, and sustainable operating models
• Workforce development, faculty training, and student onboarding
• Alignment of campus, state, and regional investments
• Industry and philanthropic engagement models that add long-term value
• Gaps, variations, and opportunities across states

Outcomes

The workshop will produce an overview report summarizing shared challenges, diverse state contexts, and actionable themes to inform NSF’s future program development. Consistent with NSF guidance, CASC will deliver this report shortly following the workshop.

Logistics

Date: March 9, 2026, 9 am – 5 pm (registration begins at 8 am)
Location: Constitution Hall, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave., Washington DC 20016
Format: In-person, invitation-only
Host: Coalition for Academic Scientific Computation (CASC), in partnership with NSF
Event Contact: Kathryn Kelley, kelley@casc.org

This event is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2611153. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this event and related materials are those of the organizers and participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.